#i see why basil rathbone is so many people's true holmes :')

[sherlock-is-ace]

I sure fucking love it when they do the thing :')

[nothingofpracticalgardening]

14 Versions of Sherlock Holmes Ranked from Most to Least Likely to Set a Building on Fire in a Fit of Rage

CURRENT UPDATED LIST HERE

1. Jonny Lee Miller — Elementary

This cool modern gent had a Moment™ in the very first episode of this series wherein he crashed Watson’s car into the side of the villain’s for absolutely no reason except the guy had pissed him off. That’s only like half a step down from setting a building on fire, which makes it almost canon, so this fantastic band tee-wearing lunatic gets first place for sure.

2. Yuko Takeuchi — Miss Sherlock

She may look cute, but this girl is fearless and feral. She would set a building on fire on a whim and dance away, leaving her poor Watson holding the matches as a joke. We haven’t really seen her angry, but she for sure would be unstoppable if she was. Sherlock Futaba has a secret heart of gold and a not-so-secret wit of arsenic and she’s not afraid to use either of them to end your ass.

3. Benedict Cumberbatch — Sherlock

He might tie for second place with Miss Sherlock, actually, because we all remember that one American who dared to slap Mrs. Hudson and fell out a window, several times, for it. I don’t need to tell y’all this Sherlock Holmes is vicious as a viper when he wants to be, but he’s also sweet as a newborn kitten deep down. Still, #3 is pretty high on the list and I think this emotion-driven drama queen deserves it.

4. Christopher Plummer — Murder by Decree

For most of this 1970s movie, you would never be able to picture this Holmes with a temper at all, much less one big enough to set anything on fire. He’s empathetic, easygoing, and even downright warm. But then, after discovering how a young woman has been mistreated by people in power, he suddenly goes for a guy’s throat—literally—and then it’s easier to see why he’s #4 on my list.

5. Basil of Baker Street — The Great Mouse Detective

Excuse me, it absolutely counts as a legitimate adaptation. This manic little guy might be cute as a button but he will go absolutely rabid on you if you push him (although he might feel bad about it a second later). I’m not saying it’s super likely, but it’s not super unlikely either. Honestly I wouldn’t take the risk.

6. Peter Cushing — The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)

He might not be #1 on this list, but on a list of sassiest Sherlock Holmeses ever, he would definitely be at the top. More than once this sly gentleman was seconds away from Losing It(TM) in this movie; we might not ever have seen him show his temper completely, but between his impatient (but still affectionate) bickering with Watson and his mumbled sarcasm at every other character at every available opportunity, I wouldn’t doubt his capability of setting a fire in sheer annoyance.

7. Jeremy Brett — Sherlock Holmes

Calm but intense, this Sherlock Holmes is extremely popular, thanks mostly to Brett’s love and passion for the role; with all his self-control, every once in a while there’s a little flash of something much bigger going on underneath–his voice gets louder and his eyes get sharper and for a second you might wonder what he’s going to do. It would just depend on the situation, I think; hurt Watson, for example, and yeah…his fire will get you for sure.

8. Original Books

There’s no Sherlock Holmes like the original. Like Brett above, the Blueprint Holmes is cool, unruffled, and very much in control most of the time, but there are a few moments here and there when he turns into lightning personified, ready to strike someone down in a split second if they stir up his wrath. Nevertheless, he is softer and kinder and more patient than most adaptations give him credit for, so he’s lower on the list.

9. Basil Rathbone — Sherlock Holmes 

Ever wanted to see Sherlock Holmes take out Nazis? This might be the series for you, then. Despite the ‘40s vintage action vibe, though, this Sherlock Holmes really doesn’t have much in the way of a temper and a lot in the way of cool, observant preplanning. When it comes to high-emotion moments, this Holmes is more urgent action than fiery temper. With all that, he tends to lean more on the non-flammable side of the Sherlock Holmes spectrum.

10. Robert Downey, Jr. — Sherlock Holmes & Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows

Okay, you might have expected Action Hero Holmes to be higher up on the list, especially considering he literally did set a fire in the beginning of the second movie. But despite the flack he gets for not being “accurate” enough, I love this Holmes for so many reasons, and one of those reasons is that he’s so gentle and soft-spoken. He’d set a fire in a second for a case, but he faces evil with more melancholy than anger and really isn’t naturally violent at all when you get down to it.

11. Hannah Drew — Baker Street

Probably the most obscure one on the list, this fan-created Sherlock Holmes is blindingly intelligent and relentless, but also profoundly isolated, lonely, and deeply emotional. Still, the extent of her expressiveness seems to be playing obnoxious practical jokes when someone annoys her or shouting halfheartedly when she’s frustrated, not setting fires. (Also confession: she’s totally my girl crush. I would buy her all the ice cream in the world if she asked.)

12. Vasily Livanov — Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson

This Holmes is full of easy charm with emotions that tend to be more prominent on the softer side; he’ll start crying the second his Watson does, and laughs loudly and freely whenever he feels like it, but when provoked by a villain he maintains his cool demeanor like it’s not any kind of a challenge. Like I’ve said before, this Holmes has super-chill trustworthy older brother vibes to me, so he’s almost totally unlikely to be a firebug.

13. Henry Cavill — Enola Holmes (links to trailer)

While it’s true this Sherlock Holmes wasn’t the main character of this movie, we got to see enough of him to make a solid judgment, I think. And my judgment is that he’s one of the most gentle, mild-mannered ones out there. I mean, he might not have started out as a willing parent, but by the end of the movie this guy was volunteering to take in and raise his younger sister. Maybe he could be a fire-starter, but I just don’t see it so far.

14. Ronald Howard — Sherlock Holmes

By far the most adorable version in my opinion, this Holmes is more full of bright humor and childlike wonder than fury of any kind. Like with every version, he has his moments of righteous anger, but guys, come on…this man once spent a whole scene chasing a honeybee around their flat to trap it carefully and set it free. He’s not setting anything on fire anytime soon—at least not on purpose.

These are all the versions of the world’s favorite detective I like so far, but I’m still watching all the ones available, so consider this an incomplete list. If anybody sees this and has a different opinion or a Sherlock to add, feel free to comment! And thanks for reading my rambling.

[citrucentric]

Cranberry

The ideal Holmes is tall and dark with sharp edges and an intelligent look to him, but also posh and with a sense that you could fold him into origami if you really tried. Dresses well, but wouldn’t look out of place sprawled dramatically over a couch in a dressing gown with a pipe and surrounded by drug paraphernalia. Once made a pillow fort and sat in it to think. Caught somewhere between handsome, pretty, and weird looking. Emphasis can be on any of the three. CANNOT have facial hair.

Holmes Adaptations

S-Tier

Miss Sherlock (Yuko Takeuchi) - 95%

You’ll notice, of course, that nowhere in the earlier description did I say Holmes needed to be white, a man, or even human. None of those qualifiers or the lack-thereof prevent someone from looking the part -- it simply becomes necessary to compare them to the characters around them. And when I picture a female Sherlock Holmes, Yuko Takeuchi embodies the exact image in my mind. Her sharp edges, piercing eyes, and impeccable fashion, along with the powerful weird energy she brings to the role, fit Sherlock perfectly. She does look more than a bit like she could kick my ass, but more in the manner she dominates the room, which is perfect for the character.

Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) - 85%

I haven’t watched this adaptation, though I’ve been meaning to get around to it. So this ranking is based solely on screenshots and promotional images. And honestly, as ugly as i find this guy, he totally nails it. He even kind of looks like the illustrations in the stories. I won’t give him a perfect score because his hair could be darker and his face is a little small, and there’s just barely something missing. But as far as “canon” Holmes adaptations go, he’s the cream of the crop.

A-Tier

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (Benedict Cumberbatch) - 80%

Definitely the more accurate of the two Cumberbatch Holmes designs, the sleek fashion and slicked back hair complement Cumberbatch’s angular build and “somewhere between pretty and just weird” face. He’s tall, dark, and posh. If there’s anything holding him back it’s simply that even dressed up properly, there’s something still a bit modern looking about him.

Fate/Grand Order - 78%

Given that his design and presentation are a direct reference to both Brett and Cumberbatch’s portrayals, it’s a given he’d place so highly. It’s really hard to nail down a 2D Holmes, especially in the anime style this game employs, since it has a tendency to prettify characters by default. True to form, FGO Holmes is far neater and more precise than I’d like. But he’s by no means a bad design, and depending on the image he can really hit the spot for me; he’s definitely a chart topper in the realm of 2D Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes: The Furtive Festivity (Gregory Johnstone) - 75%

There aren’t many Holmes that we only get to see as an old man, in no small part due to the ACD estate’s notoriously malicious copyright practices. Johnstone ranks so highly not due necessarily to the details of his look, but the overall feel he embodies. This Holmes is soft, affectionate, more than a little floppy. His hair and costume portray a man well grown into his eccentric life, and his face is sharp and mature enough to suggest the brains underneath; even if that’s more wisdom than intelligence in this particular story. This is a Holmes designed by someone who really loves Sherlock Holmes, and it definitely shows.

BBC Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) - 75%

Cumberbatch’s features still naturally suit Holmes well, and he’s tall and striking enough to cover the rest. But this isn’t a rating of his acting performance aside from the visuals it supplies; it’s hard to modernize Holmes, especially since it makes perfect sense for Holmes to gel well with the changing times; he was always a man ahead of his era. BBC Holmes’s trademark trenchcoat and curly locks aren’t traditional Holmes, but they suit him well enough.

Yuukoku no Moriarty - 73%

The long hair is an unorthodox take, but I'm certainly not complaining. YnM's Holmes definitely nails the youthful scientific exuberance of an early Holmes. It's clear they were going for a sort of BBC/ACD mix, but with their own spin. Pretty -- he is an anime boy, after all -- but all sharp edges and full of energy. Decent, way better than most anime Holmes designs manage.

B-Tier

Basil of Baker Street [The Great Mouse Detective] - 70%

Comparing the character to those around them is especially important when it comes to non-human characters, who naturally don’t have the same features. Putting Basil next to Dawson makes this abundantly clear, as they make a perfect portrait of Holmes and Watson. For a mouse, he’s thin, angular, even a little ratlike; all decisions that suit Holmes well. I have some complaints about his ensemble, though; while the dressing gown suits him well, his normal brown coat and hat don’t work so well with his fur; the monochrome look makes him come off a bit scruffy and unrefined.

A Study in Black - 68%

Rules are made to be broken, they say; here’s a Holmes with well maintained facial hair and who’s shorter than Watson, and yet I can without question say they were the right decisions. This Holmes takes a very different design approach than any other on this list, even the other modern takes, but he embodies the spirit of Holmes much more than if he’d tried to match every detail. Holmes is still gaunt and striking, eccentric and fashionable. He looks absolutely great.

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (Robert Stephens) - 62%

Stephens in this role is, I have to say, far too soft. But he’s playing a different sort of Holmes, and I can’t resist keeping him here. There are some parts of the look he has down; he certainly looks high class, and the softer elements of Holmes’ character look good on him. Holmes’ traditional costume, the hat and coat, look out of place on him. But that suits the message of the film, and may very well have been intentional.

C-Tier

Dai Gyakuten Saiban - 58%

Not the only blond Holmes on this list, but it doesn’t suit him as poorly. From a character design standpoint, it looks very good. As a Holmes, it’s unorthodox. He’s not gonna be a chart topper with it, but I wouldn’t rule it out. This Holmes’ real problem isn’t his coloration, merely that he’s much too conventionally attractive. His jaw is a bit too wide, curls a bit too lovely, the peek of lavender under his coat a bit too rich, and I can’t look at him for too long without blushing. Do some cocaine and get back to me.

Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) - 55%

Now, this one might be controversial. I don’t think Rathbone Holmes looks very good. I can’t put my finger on why; his head is the right shape, his nose very sharp, though his face looks very smooth and he seems overall vaguely packed in. Like he was plucked out of the sky just before walking on set. The shapes are all right, it just seems off to me. I guess what I’m getting is that his look is too obviously produced. He looks too much like an actor portraying Holmes, rather than Holmes. But I know he’s gonna be the guy a lot of people swear by, so I won’t defend this placement too hard.

Sherlock Hound - 45%

Really, what is up with the monochrome design on some of these cartoons. Sherlock Hound has the darker hat to make up for it, though, so it’s a little better. Applying the same rubric as Basil to him... doesn’t get the same results. As far as I can tell, this just looks like a normal dog. And a scruffy light-furred one, at that. There’s a contrast between him and Watson, sure, but it could’ve been pushed further. At the end of the day this is an average guy dressed as Sherlock.

D-Tier

Herlock Sholmes [Code: Realize] - 40%

This is a very pretty anime boy. I’d pick him first in whatever dating sim this is. ...Wait, this is supposed to be Holmes? How can you tell? Look, I know it’s hard to make an anime boy Holmes. Holmes’ key design elements aren’t his costume or his hair, they’re the things that make him unpolished. And anime dating sim boys don’t like to be unpolished. But really, this is just a steampunk boy who likes tea. Nothing here reads as Holmes to me.

Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) - 35%

Now, I love this movie. RDJ got me back into Sherlock Holmes when I was younger. And as this character, he has a very specific and well designed look. ...Does that look gel with canon Holmes? I don’t think so. He’s rough, he’s scruffy, he’s short and wide and strong-jawed, and he refuses to go for a clean shave. I like him a lot, but he’s not very Holmesian. He does, however, nail the eccentricity and his costume design works for him well. I do like a messy Holmes. So I won’t go any lower than this.

F-Tier

Basil [Blush Blush] - 28%

So, he’s got the outfit. There’s that. But otherwise... This is just some soft ugly anime boy cosplaying Sherlock Holmes. He doesn’t have a single trait that works in his favor. On top of that, he’s got the same problem the other Basil on this list had -- the all monochrome light brown just looks weird, and not Holmesian at all. And this boy doesn’t have the excuse of literally being a mouse. This is just an ugly design.

Elementary (Jonny Lee Miller) - 25%

Now, I've only watched a few scattered episodes of Elementary. Partially because I'm morally opposed to shows that only gender-flip half of the duo, partially because I’m absolutely outraged by the travesty they made Moriarty. But this isn’t a bad character, per-se.

But, like, this is just some dude. This isn't Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes [Clue] - 23%

I love Clue so much. That probably doesn’t surprise anyone. I have the season pass in this game, which automatically gives me every DLC character they add for free. So I was super excited to hear there was gonna be a Sherlock crossover. ...But this is just ugly. Another light haired square-jawed monochrome asshole pretending to be my favorite character. There’s nothing Holmes about this. (The rest of the designs in the pack are no better, but this isn’t about them.)

Skylar Holmes [Blossom Detective Holmes] - 20%

Now, Blossom Detective is a show that I famously disliked so much I immediately sat down and screenwrote my own Holmes cartoon on the spot. And Skylar certainly feels like she should be in the “part 2″ of this list, but a Holmes she is.

She's cute and she accessorizes well, but she's just not Sherlock Holmes by any stretch.

Sherlock Shellingford [Milky Holmes] - 10%

Now, look how cute she is! Sherlock Shellingford, present and accounted for. She’s got TWO Sherlock names so you know she’s the real deal. Now, this is just an objectively good design. She's exactly what she needs to be to serve the role she plays!

And that isn't Sherlock Holmes. Sorry.

Holmes & Watson (Will Ferrell) - 0%

Get out of my house.

Holmes Archetypes

Not all Holmes’ are meant to be the Canonical Sherlock Holmes, of course; some are just neat references, or characters who naturally fit into his role whether the author intended it or not. Let’s address them here, and remember that not looking the part doesn’t really reflect negatively on these ones as they’re stand-alone.

S-Tier

Dylan Reinhart [Instinct] (Alan Cumming) - 90%

Dylan is so point for point Sherlock Holmes that it’s hard to call him an archetype and not a straight adaptation, or possibly a rip-off if I’m being harsh. But I’m not supposed to be rating him by portrayal, just looks - and he’s really good. He’s the exact right blend of weird looking, though not as angular as he should be. His sharp eyebrows and nose and high hairline work fantastic, and he wears a suit very well. He’s a perfect little bundle of posh and nerves, and though he’s not perfect the fact that this isn’t actually supposed to be canon Sherlock Holmes makes this placement very unsurprising. He wouldn’t look out of place on the other list.

Hubert von Vestra [Fire Emblem: Three Houses] - 85%

Oh? What’s that? You don’t think Hubert von Vestra is a Sherlock Holmes archetype? Okay, then explain to me why he uses the word “sentiment” exactly twice in his supports. Atheists 1, Church of Seiros 0. Anyway. Let’s start with the obvious. Hubert looks like Benedict Cumberbatch. But, he looks like a vampire Benedict Cumberbatch who did a lot more cocaine. And if you don’t think Sherlock Holmes should look like a vampire, youre lying.

A-Tier

None yet. Please submit your Holmes and I will add them.

B-Tier

Heinwald [Dragalia Lost] - 67%

I would never look at this design and think "well, that's Sherlock Holmes". Heinwald looks more like a zombie or the bride of Frankenstein, very Halloween. His look being so specific does come at the expense of his Holmesness, but he's still got more than a few traits down and he’s an absolute treat.

L Lawliet [Death Note] - 65%

This is a very, very weird looking man. Key points: dark hair and eyes. gaunt, sharp, and mostly angular (though with a softer face). Extremely foldable. This man could 100% pass for Holmes, if someone else was dressing him. Put him in a suit, comb his hair? Yeah. It’d really work. But until then, he’s just most of the way there.

Kyoko Kirigiri [Danganronpa] - 63%

Kirigiri really gets jilted here, because she could be much higher. Unfortunately, she has to be part of a series that with only a few exceptions just reuses the same face and body for most of its female characters. Kirigiri definitely has the sharp and focused feel she needs to pass for Holmes, and she dresses well. The white hair is the opposite of the dark he usually touts, but it’s striking. Unfortunately, put her next to any other character in her series, and she blends back in.

Miles Edgeworth [Ace Attorney] - 60%

Feels a little weird to put Edgeworth on here when the actual Sherlock Holmes is in his game, but he fits the character much better if not the narrative role. So let’s go over the looks. His jaw is a bit wide, but he’s very pointy, and I certainly have never gotten the impression he’s a physically strong man. He’s very fashionable, and with his big cravat and sharp hair he makes a cutting silhouette. I’d say he needs a bit more to really nail the look, though.

C-Tier

Will Graham [Hannibal] (Hugh Dancy) - 45%

Despite being a noted Hannibal Lecter fan and possible homosexual, I still haven’t watched Hannibal. I’m taking people at their word that Will is a Sherlock; I definitely would have assumed otherwise looking at him. He reminds me deeply of BBC’s John Watson, and it’s hard to see anything else. But I don’t hate his look; he reads as clever, he looks good in darks, and I wouldn’t complain to see him cast as Holmes. He’s better than some of the lower-tiered canon Holmes actors, anyway.

Ranpo Edogawa [Bungo Stray Dogs] - 40%

This is another submission, and I don’t know who this boy is. I really doubt he’s actually a Holmes, given that he’s named after a real non-Doyle writer, but I was begged to include him. Let’s go. I really like his outfit. He’s got an aesthetic I like. Is it Holmes’? No. This kid looks like he’d fit way better as a Baker Street Irregular; maybe he should audition.

D-Tier

Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) - 35%

Take everything I said for Robert Downey Jr, and just mess up his hair a bit more. House is scruffy, poorly put together, and not wearing anything that costs over $100. As a Holmes, he’d work as one of his disguises; I wouldn’t be super surprised if this guy suddenly cleaned up and looked the part -- but it would take a lot of cleaning. I love his look, though -- again, he isn’t trying to be canon. House is an explicit Holmes parallel, but he’s still his own character.

F-Tier

Walnut Cookie [Cookie Run] - 20%

Given how much “Holmes costume” and “Detective costume” are conflated, it’s possible this gingerbread baby isn’t even supposed to be a Holmes reference, but I’ll take her. She’s an excellent design - but a standalone one. Shes too soft, warm, and curly looking to pull off canon Holmes.

[youknowmymethods]

Content Creator Interview #2

In this week’s interview, fandom friends @lilsherlockian1975 and @mrsmcrieff talk about whether they found Sherlock hot or not at first sight, how publicly sharing their work changed their writing, and the hardest thing about writing smutfic (pun fully intended).

And for those who don’t know, today is Lillian’s Birthday, so m’dear, Many Happy Returns!!!!

Hey, so Lilsherlockian1975 and myself, MrsMCrieff, have decided to interview each other for Aine’s challenge. We’re going to try to answer each other’s questions but there is always the danger of us going massively off piste. Our conversations in the past have been eclectic and very wide-ranging not to mention M rated.

 Anyway, I thought we could start by saying how we came into the fandom and more than that writing in the fandom. Lil, do you want to start?

Lil: All right, my sister on another continent, here’s how it went: As I’ve explained about finding The Full House on Pinterest, let’s explore what came before that moment, then just after... I was working third shift at a hotel (I had to as Mr Lil and I didn’t really have any childcare options at the time, so we just worked opposite shifts). The hotel was in a very small town - we were never busy, some nights we sold maybe 2 rooms - I usually spent my time watching Netflix. After making my way through Doctor Who, Star Trek Next Gen, Voyager then (God help me) DS9, Farscape and Firefly, I’d finally run out of anything to watch. You’d be surprised how quickly you can burn through a series binge watching for 8 hours at a time (and getting paid for it!).

 Then… then I found Sherlock. Well, that changed things… a bit.

 “Good Lord, who is the Cumberstud chap and why won’t he have all the sex with me!?” was my first thought, my second was, “Maybe I have a chance with the dishy DI?” and third? “Oh… what fresh hell is this ‘Mycroft’? Yummy!” Then finally, “Ahh, did the casting director somehow read my diary? Creepy but… all right.” To my defense, it was late and I usually worked on very little sleep. Also, I’m a kinky bitch.

 I’d never been involved in a ‘fandom proper’, I suppose. That’s not to say that I wasn’t a fangirl. I am and always have been. I was hugely into the Kevin Smith movies, going as far as visiting the Quick Stop and RST Video in Lenardo, NJ, respectively, as well as The Secret Stash, in Red Bank. I was a comic book geek in my youth, Marvel mostly, but some DC as well.

 After reading The Full House, I desperately needed MORE Sherlock and luckily enough, there was more to be found.

 At first I was just reading, then I wrote and posted a couple of (horrible) fics and met this fellow writer named MrsMCrieff (I might have had a little ‘writing crush’ on you, Mrs!). We chatted on FF.net and struck up a friendship.

 So, for me, writing came before fandom. Mrs was doing some betaing for me, but I didn’t ask for help often; I hated bothering her all the time for the multitude of stories I was turning out. At some point around here, I got an elusive invite to AO3 from sherlockian87, bless her soul, because I kept trying to join and couldn’t get a blessed invitation. Also around this time, I had written a prompt and got a PM from MizJoely asking if she could fix some of my mistakes (she was very sweet about it, even though I totally flipped - half fangirling, half losing my shit because ‘Crap, I screwed up so bad, here was The MizJoely asking if she could edit out my mistakes!’) but she wasn’t being critical at all, of course, just helpful as I soon found out. Shortly after, now having formed a friendship with MIz, she suggested that I start a Tumblr blog. And that’s how it all started.

Yes, sorry… I, um, tend to be a tad loquacious. Writing out my answers doesn’t help one little bit.

 Okay, Mrs, right back atcha!

 Mrs: OK, shall I try to be more concise? I’ll probably fail as I’m terrible as writing short fics they always seem to end up spread over multiple chapters.

 I’m another one who had always been a fangirl, Doctor Who, Buffy, Twilight, vampire Diaries (yeah, I love my vampires) but I’d also been a Sherlock Holmes fan. I’d read all the books in my teens, watched the Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett adaptations and even stayed at the Sherlock Holmes hotel on Baker St so when a new series was advertised it was an easy sale.

 I was late to the cumberobsession though. I have to admit watching the first two series as they came out and I remember thinking I like them but it’s a shame Sherlock isn’t that hot. I know, I know, I’m embarrassed even as I write that.

 It all changed after watching season 3 and I blame the Sherlolly kiss 100%. I watched the series, DELETED the records!! And then realised I was spending a lot of time thinking about Sherlock and Benedict...that turned into looking him up online and from there it was a short step to reading Sherlolly fics on fanfic (I was already reading fics for other shipping obsessions). Anyway, it didn’t take long before Sherlolly took over all my other ships and Benedict was my number one hottie.

 As for writing, I hadn’t written anything fiction based since school and school was a long time ago...almost thirty years. But one day I was looking for a specific fic, I wanted to read about Sherlock and Molly having to share body heat and I just couldn’t find anything that satisfied me. I’m not sure why but in that moment I decided to write it myself and in half an hour I’d written Frozen...my first ever fic. It took another couple of hours to pluck up the courage to post it and I clearly remember feeling a bit sick and my hand shaking as I pressed the final button to post.

 Thankfully, I almost immediately started to receive positive reviews and feedback and it wasn’t long before I started to write more...the rest as they say is history. Lil got in touch soon after and it was fun chatting to another writer just starting out. We soon found we were not dissimilar in age and both had two sons and the friendship started there.

 We’ve been through quite a lot over the last few years Lil and written some fab stories. Wouldn’t you agree?

 (I should let on that we are now faffing about trying to find the original list of questions...we are trying to be professional).

 Ok Lil, so I’ve looked at Aine’s questions and they look really hard. Any preferences on which ones you want to answer :).

 Lil: I think a great follow up to that first one is this: How did posting your first story change your process of writing? So I’m shooting it back to you, Mrs, and you can send me that one or select a new one for me. Tag, you’re it!

 Mrs: I can tell you quite simply how it changed my process of writing...given that it was my first piece of writing in 30 years I was starting from scratch when it came to any process. One thing that I started with that’s held true for me ever since is that my stories are fully mapped out and written before I even start posting the first chapter. I will edit and make refinements but the bones of the story are there.

 I know lots of people post a chapter and then write the next chapter but that would put me under too much pressure. The downside is that if someone gives me a prompt they could be waiting months before they see it posted. The upside is if I’ve started posting a fic you will get the end of it as it’s already been written.

 There have only been two exceptions to this method: Sherlock Holmes, Vampire which I worked on over a year or so posting four chapters every so often as I wrote them...it was stressful. And the other is Never Have I Ever which was/is more of a collection of one shots woven together into a fic.

 How about you Lil? How did it change for you?

 Lil: So, I’d been writing little stories and whatnot for years and years but, having no idea that there was such a thing as ff.net or AO3, I had no place to put them. Writing was always a very, very distant dream of mine. I have loads of notebooks filled with stories, story ideas and my own personal ramblings (unfortunately, my Tumblr followers now have to read the ‘ramblings business’). I stopped for many years after my roommate/best friend since childhood found some of my writing in college that I’d carefully hidden under my bed. I came home to find her in my room, sat on the floor, on the phone with our Art History professor (whom she was sleeping with), as she read him my story and laughed hysterically at its awfulness.

 I was devastated and vowed never to write again.

 But that changed, of course. Those first maybe ten stories were just me letting my mind go and getting out what I wanted to say (aided by liberal amounts of wine). Since then, however, my ‘process’ has changed drastically. I don’t always write an outline (never for one shots, which I write often) but I generally do for long fics. If not, it’s easy for me to get lost and miss critical points. My writing has become more about ‘layering’ for lack of a better word.

 I found after those first few posted fics, that in going back and re-reading them I wanted to make changes. I didn’t re-edit them (because I’m lazy), but it made me realize that my writing required more time and proofing before posting; that first draft is just the start for me - a thin layer of primer paint on a canvas, if you will. I then read over it and add more details and more and more until I get the desired effect. Again, much like oil painting, I have to build things up, layer by layer. This works for me; I have no idea if it’s a proper method of writing. So, posting my first fic(s) helped me learn that I shouldn’t be so trigger happy about posting if the story wasn’t ready.

 Okay, Mrs, this one is geared specifically towards you. I don’t think anyone would argue with me about your supernatural ability to write ‘case fics’, so let me ask: Which do you prefer writing, case fics or fluffy smut-filled romps? And why?

 Mrs: Oh God, ask me something easy why don’t you. Both, I like writing both. I love the depth of a case fic, the idea, the research, plotting it out and working out the characters and detail but it’s so time consuming and I often write a bit, leave it, come back to it etc. etc. so a detailed case fic can take six months.

 Fluff on the other hand is less satisfying but quicker (my minds already in the gutter with an analogy).

 Woohoo I kept is fairly short for once. So, here’s one that’s good for you. I’m endlessly envious of how easily you make friends and how you know so many people in the fandom whereas I’m the introverted hermit. Which other authors are you friends with, and how have they help you become a better writer?

 Lil: Goodness! You make me sound like a social butterfly (Mr Lil calls me that all the time!). I like people, plain and simple. Other than you, I am close to MizJoely and Darnedchild, that’s no secret, so I’ll talk about them first (you included, because you’ve made me a better writer, I’m sure of it - have actual proof!)

 I cannot count the ways Miz has helped me improve my writing. She figuratively took me by the ear and said “okay, you don’t suck but do you even know what a comma is used for?” No, not those actual words, she was much kinder about it, but I got the hidden meaning and I needed it, trust me. She also challenges me and is not afraid to be honest with me when I’ve written something that isn’t good or perhaps doesn’t fit. I know I’ve improved since she started betaing for me, like a 1000%. And Child… When I volunteered to beta for the Big Bang Challenge, I had no idea what I was getting into, but man… she’d written and enormous fic. Good, amazing really, but it was longer than anything I’d ever worked on before. It scared the shit out of me but I really think it was exactly what I needed. Betaing someone else’s work can really make you see your own mistakes from a new perspective. I feel like I jumped ahead after working on the BBC with Child. As for you, MrsMCrieff, just the other day I had The Best compliment… someone actually thought I was British! Yes, that happened. I can only attribute that little feat to you, my friend. You’ve taught me when to add a ‘u’, when not to zed and about many different terms like pavement, taps, hob, loo, trousers (we really don’t say that here!). Not to mention the fact that most European men aren’t circumcised. Who knew?! It’s pretty common in the US.

 But that’s just a few. I cannot count the number of fandom friends who have helped me and all the ways that they’ve done so. That doesn’t mean I won’t try…

 There’s likingthistoomuch who always listens to my ideas and encouraged me to post my first Harry Potter fic. OhAine has been a true friend from the very beginning, always insightful and supportive. Mellovesall who is just too sweet for words and always helps with edits, no matter what’s going on in her life. Kendrapendragon who let me bounce ideas for my Mirror Has Two Faces AU off of her for like a whole day! the-sapphiresky who has helped me with this historical AU that may or may not ever see the light of day. Allthebellsinvenice who answered about a dozen questions (over two years!) for Dig Down Deep when I’d panic about some D/s situation I’d written myself into. o0katiekins0o who backs me up when I’m in the middle of a sensitive subject. I can always depend on her to help me when I’m afraid I’m crossing a line. Broomclosetkink, Lord help me! She’s pinch hit for me when I’ve written a fic for Miz or if I just need a good laugh. She’s the best. Sweets… it’s very hard to talk about sweet-sweet-escape. I still cannot even bring myself read her stories or the ones I wrote for her without breaking down, but no one was more supportive or kind to me than Sweets. I miss her so much.

 Then there’s all the love and support I received from everyone during The Fic That Shall Not Be Named debacle. That’s when I knew how much this fandom (well, this ship, really) had my back! I will never forget how much love and support I received. Bless you all!

 I’m forgetting people and I hate that. But I really do love all my fandom friends as if I see them and hang out with them every day. I mean that.

 Okay, Mrs, here’s one for you (I’m going back to the list for this one because I like it and I think it’s interesting): What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters of the opposite sex?

 Mrs: See, see I said you knew loads of people!

 As for your question that’s easy to answer...knowing what it feels like when they get aroused and orgasm. I’m more than happy being female but it would be kind of interesting just to be a guy for one day. It would improve my writing no end.

 On a wider note when it comes to writing characters I don’t think any of us made it easy on ourselves when we decided to try to write being a high functioning sociopathic genius. I think I can speak for most of us when I say he’s not the easiest person to try to write authentically. I just wish I had half his knowledge then I wouldn’t feel like such an idiot when I’m writing him.

 I gave my youngest son the option of any number between 1 and 40. He chose 7 so does writing energise or exhaust you?

 Lil: It absolutely energises me! I do get frustrated trying to find time to write, but actually writing does amazing things for my mental and physical self. I find that I’m much more productive around the house when I’m in the middle of a writing jag. I’ll sit and write for a while, then get up and pound out some chores (usually more quickly as to get back to my computer). Somehow, this works for me. Frankly, it’s probably got to do with my ADHD. I’m the kind of person who needs to do multiple things at once. I’m the same at work; I cannot just stand behind the registrar for 8 hours. I practically beg my managers for extra work, which they’re happy to give me.

 I have an original question for you, love: How does a bad review affect you?

 Mrs: I’ll be honest I don’t react well to a bad review but it does depend on whether I think it’s valid or not. You probably know each and every time I’ve had one because I will probably have sent you a screen shot and asked your opinion. Thankfully they have been few and far between, occasionally they have made me think...especially if I’m being accused of using a tired old trope and I’ve made the effort to up my game in future fics but often they are just being nasty for the sake of it.

 Writing is such a personal thing though, we give a piece of ourselves in each and every fic so it’s hard to not take criticism very personally.

 Same question to you Lil.

 Lil: Oh, I’m a giant baby about a bad review and have been known to take it very personally. At first I brood… like really hard, thinking on the entire thing much longer than necessary. I suppose it depends on the nature and tone, for the most part though. If it’s attacking and spiteful, I’ll attack right back but if it’s coming from a ‘goodish’ place, I do try to look at my writing a bit more objectively (I don’t always succeed). Anonymous bad reviews get to me the most. The fact that I cannot reply drives me up the wall!

 Okay, we’re wrapping this up (else we could go on forever!) Thanks so much and a big thanks to Aine for organizing this as well!

 Mrs & Lil

Next Week:

Posting on Friday 01 March it’s @ohaine ‘s turn (eek!) to interview @ashockinglackofsatin

[pennywaltzy]

"This book is years out of date."

So I am finally updating a series based on an RPG game which I left a while ago and I think closed, but I have a few prompts from @strangelock221b and Nonny that will be perfect for it. So here she and @posterofamyth go!

A Little Bit Of Concern Doesn't Do Any Harm (A “Universes Collide” Story) -McCoy knows Molly is a good person, and really, she's happy and he shouldn't meddle. But it's Sherlock she's attracted to and he's an asshole, so he should do his part as her concerned boss. But Molly has a thing or two to tell him about the nature of her and Sherlock's relationship before their arrivals on the Enterprise...

Read @ AO3 | Series Page |Help Me Survive? | Commission Me?

"This book is years out of date."

Molly smiled and turned in her chair. It wasn’t anything like the rest of the chairs on the Enterprise, he’d noticed, in that it was a very old antique. Molly had said it was fancier than her chair at the hospital she worked at on the Old Earth in her universe, but she loved it because it reminded her of an armchair by a fireplace she’d had as a child. Honestly, his eyes wanted to bleed at the tartan print monstrosity (on wheels, no less) but Molly had damn near cried when they’d found a port that had Old Earth antiques and his staff had filled up her office with them, whether they matched or not. He knew Christine would come in and join her for a cup of tea sometimes in the matching chair that wasn’t on wheels.

He wasn’t always sure what they were talking about, or whether it was just tea they drank, but he had to admit, things felt a little different with Molly on board. At least the new arrivals usually felt more comfortable with her, or the ones from her general time period on Earth. It made his job easier getting them checked out.

“That’s because it’s a copy of Grey’s Anatomy kept in rather a pristine condition from...” She got out of the chair and looked at the inside of the book, flipping the pages until she was near the front. “1979. My birth year, coincidentally. It’s remarkable that for hundreds of years, someone kept that book looking near new.”

“Considering everything that’s happened, yeah, that’s saying something,” McCoy said as he set the book back. His mouth quirked up in a small smile as he fingered the things she said were DVDs of Sherlock Holmes. Not hers, obviously; when he glanced at the cover the man did have black curly hair like the asshole who Molly had been excited to see, but he at least looked like there were times this Sherlock smiled. The one on board?

He was such an asshole. More than Spock.

But he’d noticed around Molly, he was...soft. If that could be a term that described Sherlock, ever. And he had done a good job keeping her attention from coming back to the med bay when she was healing. So he might be an ass, but he was a useful ass, sometimes.

At the very least, Molly seemed to be able to deal with him. Best to let her have something that made her happy. If she was happy, she worked better.

“Robert Downey, Jr.”

Her voice shook him out of his thoughts. “Pardon?”

“Apparently one of many people who have played Sherlock Holmes in your universe. Jonny Lee Miller was another who had a television series, around the time that the one about my life was made. Then there’s Jeremy Brett, and Basil Rathbone...Sir Ian McKellan played an older version, and I believe Christopher Lee played both Sherlock and Moriarty. Or maybe it was Mycroft and Moriarty? Not sure.” Then she smiled. “And supposedly there was a man who was the spitting image of a young Spock Prime who did as well.”

“Were they all assholes like yours?” he asked.

Molly punched McCoy in the shoulder, but rather lightly. He knew she could punch to hurt, should she choose. “Sherlock is not an arse. He’s just...prickly.” She took the DVD case out of his hands and put it back. “Is Sherlock why you’re here, Leonard?”

He shrugged for a moment and then crossed his arms as she went back to her favored seat. “He can’t terrorize my crew in the medbay if you’re a patient there.”

“Noted,” Molly said with a nod. “But you don’t know what we’ve been through, I don’t think?”

“You know I don’t go purposefully searching out the fiction around all of you,” he said.

Molly gestured to the other chair and McCoy begrudgingly sat down. “I haven’t lived through this, mind you. I came from much earlier in our shared timeline after he and I had a row when he was high on heroin. He lived through...quite a bit I haven’t.” Her voice caught at that and he wasn’t sure if she’d go into detail, and he wasn’t surprised when she continued on from the last point. “At one point, Sherlock found out he had a sister, Eurus. If Sherlock is a genius and his older brother is supposedly smarter, his sister eclipses them both, in a rather terrifying way. She tricked him to think that I was in mortal danger and she forced us to admit how we felt regarding each other. She paused then. “He destroyed a coffin with his bare hands over the issue. A coffin that was supposed to represent him losing the only person he truly loved, though I don’t think that’s quite true.”

“He loves someone else?” McCoy asked, surprised. He saw the way they were around each other.

“In some way. Maybe not the same way, maybe not as strongly, I’m not sure. But there’s Irene Adler. She will always have a place in his heart, and...I think that’s a good thing. I almost wish he could keep texting her, here.” She set her elbow on her desk and rested her cheek in her hand. “But he does love me, he’s admitted it, and I love him. We’re working on where to go next here in the future.”

McCoy nodded. He was sure some of the other arrivals had other stories similar to hers, that there were people they loved who, if they showed up, there would have to be some serious conversations had. But Molly was a little more different. After Rose, Molly had been the first to show up, and she was on his staff. He was maybe a little more protective of her than the other new arrivals.

“Well, keep your Sherlock on a leash, okay? Preferably with a choke collar.”

Molly chuckled at that and nodded. “He won’t make as many more scenes.”

“Any more scenes,” McCoy said.

“You’re more than welcome to try and control his actions, Leonard, but you won’t like the results.” She grinned. “But I’ll try and temper him a bit more.”

“Good,” McCoy said, suddenly feeling reluctant to get up out of the chair. Damn if it wasn’t comfortable. But get up he did, and then he nodded to Molly. “When you finish the paperwork, go track him down and...butter him up. You’re still supposed to be on light duty.”

“Yes, Doctor,” Molly said with a wider smile and a nod before turning back to her PADD. McCoy gave her one last look and then left, satisfied if he insisted she spend her light duty days with Sherlock, it might be better for everyone on board in the long run.

[fandomsandfeminism]

Sherlock Holmes on Elementary is definitely a jerk. But he's also a good person with a deep sense of empathy. Let's explore how Elementary fits into the legacy of Holmes Adaptions, and how the character is depicted in these complex, contradictory ways. Transcript below the cut

Today we are going to look at the massively popular TV adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous Sherlock Holmes. ….No, not that one. The good one. Yes. Yes, that one.

Elementary premiered on CBS on September 27, 2012, starring Jonny Lee Miller as recovering drug addict Sherlock Holmes with Lucy Liu as ex-surgeon, now sober companion, soon to be detective in training Joan Watson. We are currently in season 5, and I have to be honest friends, I adore it. This video isn’t here to compare Elementary to BBC Sherlock, Elementary’s flashy british older cousin who only shows up to family gatherings once every 2 or 3 years and then disappears back into the void. No. Partly because any real comparison between them has the potential to bring out the...unpleasant side of the internet, but mostly because having to spend any amount of time with Moffat’s writing is...not something I want to do.

So yes. We are looking at Elementary. Elementary is back on TV, so I’ve been thinking about it a lot. It’s so common to update and adapt the Sherlock Holmes mythos in our media- from BBC miniseries, to Hollywood blockbusters, to Disney films about mice, to anime about dogs, that for an adaption to be truly GOOD it must first set itself apart. It has to differentiate itself while still maintaining the mental and emotional core true to the original series in meaningful ways. You can’t just grab a british guy in a silly hat and send him out to solve crimes if you want to make waves.

And honestly, there is so much about Elementary that we would talk about. We could talk about Joan, and how Lucy Liu’s rendition of Watson is one of the most unique in the plethora of Sherlock adaptations, how she is such a genuine, interesting character, who stands are Holmes’s equal, not just fan; who always dresses like a goddess and needs more of her own story lines dammit, because she’s great, and fun.

We could talk about Mrs. Hudson and how really cool it is to have a trans character on the show, played by a trans woman, and how her storylines were sincere and interesting and I’d like more of this too please.

We could talk about how the show handled Sherlock Holmes essentials- Irene Adler and Moriarty and Mrs. Hudson and Lestrange and Mycroft with such a fresh and unique twist, how they avoided the lazy or obvious routes with each and every one of them.

We could talk about how the New York portrayed in Elementary is so much more accurately diverse than most popular movies would have you believe. About how the show takes such time and care is portraying addiction and recovery. About how it’s a show that cares more about WHY Sherlock and Watson solve a case instead of HOW they do it, because the show cares about human relationships and emotional growth.

But what I want to focus on today is the factor that I think, for most people, really sets Elementary a cut above, and that is the character of Sherlock Holmes himself and how in Elementary he is able to embody so well two normally contrary traits: Intense Anti-socialness and extreme empathy for others.

Some backstory:

Sherlock Holmes, as a character, first appeared in the world in 1887 with the publication of A Study in Scarlet. If you have never read this story, it is...an odd ride. It’s in the public domain, so you can find it pretty easily online. There’s a murder and flashbacks and evil Mormons. Lots of evil mormons. (Doyle apparently really disliked them?) From then on it was one adventure after another, eventually accumulating 4 novels and 56 short stories into the canon. Sherlock Holmes in the books is a master of not only detective work, but also a master of disguise, excellent at fencing, singlestick, and boxing. He raises bees, plays violin, and does a lot of cocaine.

So, there’s a lot of content to draw on when people work to adapt Sherlock Holmes. And oh boy, have people adapted Sherlock Holmes. The Guinness book of world records has him listed as “the most portrayed movie character” with more than 70 actors playing the part in over 200 films. There have been comic books and Star Trek. He’s been sent into the future. He’s reimagined as a doctor, mouse, and a dog. (Sherlock Hound, by the way, is an anime series that was co-directed with Hayao Miyazaki. So, pretty great stuff.)

And how Sherlock has been played has varied from time to time. Our most canonical, classic vision of Sherlock Holmes, has been mostly formed from the Basil Rathbone portrayal, wearing the Deerstalker hat and smoking a calabash pipe (both features that are never seen in any of the books or short stories, but rather pulled from the 1899 stage version of Sherlock Holmes. They were chosen because they looked good on stage)

Most of these earlier portrayals see Holmes are a rather stoic, upper crust British gentleman who solves the most grisly murders at a glance and makes it home in time for tea. More modern adaptations have tried to modernize or liven up the character- making him a mad genius or a calculating human robot.

But not Elementary. Elementary, better than most adaptations, taps into something within the Holmes character that most miss I think. There will be spoilers from this point on. Fair warning.

Elementary Sherlock has all the bells and whistles of a modern Sherlock adaptation- he’s super deductive, he raises bees, he had a drug problem (making recovery a major story element and theme). He’s got the brother and the singlestick, and the network of homeless as informants. Many, though not all, of the episodes pull plots straight from the short stories, but technology is abundant.

And yes, he’s an anti-social asshole. He says things with no regard for people’s comfort. He does things without regard for people’s boundaries. He’s blunt and coarse with his words. Abrasive would be an understatement. He leaves weird experiments in the fridge and plays loud music at all hours of the night and is the worst kind of housemate.  When Marcus Bell is relegated to desk work after being shot, Sherlock goes through a slew of detectives who aren’t up to his standards, annoying them and insulting them relentlessly. He avoids parties and is initially unwilling to open up at his group meetings.

And yet.

And yet, is Sherlock “Empathetic”? Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the emotions of others. People who are empathetic often act on this empathy with kindness or compassion. Does Asshole Elementary Sherlock do this?

Well, In the pilot Sherlock gets so angry and attacks a doctor who deliberately took advantage of a mentally ill man, because how could he? Sherlock feels such a deep anger towards this main, I would argue, because he feels a deep sense of empathy for his victim. He knows what it is like to lose control, and to be at the mercy of healthcare professionals. So to see a man who has been so exploited by his doctor is infuriating for Sherlock.

In episode 2 of the first season, Sherlock pulls aside a man they had been questioning because, with all his observation, he can see how the man is struggling with addiction horribly. Not to chastise him, but to tell him to get help, to recommend rehab for him. Because how can he watch someone suffer the way he had?

In episode 3 of season 1, Sherlock looks at a boy he knows has been abused, and in all sincerity says “Victims of horrific abuse are often protective of their abusers; it doesn't mean we should send them back for seconds.” And we can argue that Sherlock was emotionally abused in some way by his father, that he was emotionally abused by Moriarty. So he feels empathy for this abused boy in this moment,

In episode 19 “Snow Angels” he gives a homeless man a wad of money and tells him to find someplace warm to stay before the blizzard comes in. Not related to a case, just because he can’t walk past and do nothing.

In episode 7 "One Way to Get Off",  he rescues and comforts a woman who had been held captive in a basement. Stopping everything, all investigation and observation, until he knows she is ok.

In episode 9 "You Do It to Yourself", he sits with Joan in the clinic where she hopes her ex will come to get treatment. Waiting with her in this silent almost-vigil, he offers her an unspoken comfort.

In Episode 15 “A giant gun filled with drugs”, Sherlock agrees to help his former drug dealer, even though his presence is a very real risk to his sobriety, because he can’t turn his back on the fact that his daughter has been kidnapped.

In the season 1 finale, he was willing to throw everything away to run away with Irene before he discovers her true identity. And in the season 2 finale, he helps Moriarty save her daughter, despite the pain she has caused him in the past.

He takes in Kitty Winter, not because she shows any particular promise as a detective, but because he sees how hurt she is, how damaged, and wants to give her some chance to recover, an outlet for her anger and fear. When she goes beyond the law to get her revenge on the man who hurt her, Sherlock helps get her out of the country.  

He deliberately tampers with evidence to protect Shinwell from going back to prison, wants to give him a second chance at life, offers to help train him as an informant to keep him safe.

He notices and cares about Gregson’s divorce, about Joan’s boyfriends, about Marcus’s mother and brother. When Eugene, the medical examiner, develops a drug addiction, struggling with PTSD and the loss of a woman he loved, Sherlock cared. He stepped in, spoke up. Even if it means intruding into personal matters where he was not invited, he notices and steps in, again and again, even when it makes him, and everyone else, uncomfortable.

Sherlock can work the most gruesome murder case with calculating patience and wade through cold cases decades old for fun, but when, as was the case in the most recent episode (Season 5, Episode 11), he knows that a person’s life is in danger RIGHT NOW, that his action or inaction could save or condemn a human life, his work becomes more and more frantic. There’s too many examples to even go into them all.

And I think that’s an aspect of Holmes that a lot of people overlook in their adaptations. Sherlock Holmes is no crime solving robot. (Though Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd century does have a Watson Robot.)

Sherlock Holmes is a deeply empathetic person. Even if he isn’t the most emotionally open person, he sees people’s struggles, he cares deeply, and when he can, he reaches out to help. His empathy isn’t reserved for those who are close to him, those who have somehow earned his notice. He extends it to strangers and acquaintances alike, even if he struggles to express it in the most...charming of ways at times.

And what makes all this work is that being empathetic, acting out of love or concern, never absolves him of BEING an asshole. When he hurts people, or oversteps boundaries, he never gets away with it- ESPECIALLY with Watson. He is always growing as a person, learning to channel his empathy and his concern in more and more helpful and healthy ways.  

Elementary certainly has it’s own problems as both an adaptation and as just a show. It has highs and lows, like any long running show will. I honestly don’t watch a lot of long running American TV shows. They are, by their nature, often fairly episodic and cater to as wide an audience as possible. I have found very few that I can commit to week after week, season after season. But Elementary has kept me coming back all this time, and the way it handles emotions and human empathy with such dignity and respect is no small part in that.

So thank you everyone for watching this video! This channel is still really new, so all comments and likes are really appreciated! Did I talk about your favorite Sherlock moment? Or did I totally forget a really good one? Tell me down below! I’ll see yall in the comments, and if you enjoyed listening to this queer, millennial feminist ramble about things I like for a while, feel free to subscribe

[loveismyrevolution]

Mary's speech in Sherlock's mind.... an EMP interpretation

As a big fan of EMP, I'm still convinced we haven't left Sherlock's mind yet! This would mean that all of S4 takes place in Sherlock's mind and belongs to his inner journey to become the man he wants to be!!

From this point of view the only remaining way to read this series is a symbolic and metaphoric one! This includes many many thoughts and ideas!! Many of them already pointed out by brilliant people!!! But for now I want to have a look at the final speech of Mary at the end of TFP inspired by this post of @gosherlocked!!!

I know this is a stiff subject, but still, I just want to share my thoughts.... So go on under the cut if you like to read a different and much more positive interpretation of Mary's final words...

Assuming that all this takes place in Sherlock's mind, it shines in another light!  Because then all this is Sherlock talking to himself!! As gosherlocked pointed out, Mary's description of 221B is very similiar to John's in the beginning of TFP facing Mycroft:

JOHN (innocently): Well, don’t worry. There’s a place for people like you – the desperate, the terrified, the ones with nowhere else to run. MYCROFT (grimly): What place? (John frowns momentarily and then looks at him as if he’s an idiot.) JOHN: Two two one B Baker Street.

Reading it in the way as described above of course this is already Sherlock talking here! But this is a very familiar description of 221B because that is what we were told and what Sherlock experiences... when there is no hope, when you are run out of ideas or solutions you'll come to 221B and ask for help!! Because it's Sherlock's "office" and he is good in solving crimes, finding answers no one else could find!! That's what is in Sherlock's mind, that's what he self thinks about 221B in the beginning! We can also see that here:

so he keeps telling himself again and again that they are coming for him to solve the unsolved crimes and therefor to 221B!!! And he think that's also John's oppinion! That's why this is John saying it!

But the second time we hear this description it is out of Mary's mouth and it all sounds a bit different, which shows us an important developpement!!

I know you two; and if I’m gone, I know what you could become ... because I know who you really are. A junkie who solves crimes to get high ... and the doctor who never came home from the war, you listen to me: who you really are, it doesn’t matter. It’s all about the legend, the stories, the adventures. There is a last refuge for the desperate, the unloved, the persecuted. There is a final court of appeal for everyone. When life gets too strange, too impossible ... too frightening, there is always one last hope. When all else fails ... there are two men sitting arguing in a scruffy flat ... like they’ve always been there ... and they always will. The best and wisest men I have ever known. My Baker Street boys. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.

We already know about the clients and the crimes, let's point out the differences! And let's pick it bit by bit!

...you two ... what you could become...

It's no longer only about Sherlock and the crimes! This speech is about the two of them and what they could become! All what follows is grounded on this!!

What is it what they could become, what they weren't already??? They shared everything: flat, time, friends, enemies, job, money, food, adventures, sorrows, fears, hopes .... everything! Everything apart from a bed! They were a couple all along, only thing missing is intimacy - because the love is there, we all know that!!!

And Sherlock even calls them family by now!

So what is the thing they could get what they aren’t yet?? .... Lovers!!!

...a junkie who solves crimes to get high ... and a doctor who never came home from war ...

That's where their roots are! This is from the very beginning, a time long before Mary appears in their lifes! So this is where Sherlock’s mind goes back to, not Mary’s! And this is where John’s and Sherlock’s relationship is grounded on!

That's where they started and where they both still have to deal with! These experiences of their past are still haunting them and both of them are afraid of their ghosts ( a relapse and nightmares)! But it doesn't matter, they are safe now, together in 221B!

This “going back to the start” is also represented by the next (I’m aware very much hated) quote, which can rather be interpreted quite nicely!! (don't get me wrong, I can totally understand all concern about this one! And I'm aware of all the sorrow it caused!! This is just an other possibility of reading it

...who you really are, it doesn't matter...

The very first thing I thought about hearing this the first time i watched TFP was this:

And I honestly still believe, that Mofftiss didn't mean what came over so rudely, especially to the LGBT community!! I still don't believe that actors as Ben and Martin would take part of a show, which is so rudely queerbaiting!! It has to mean something else! And my theorie is going with this quote of Steven Moffat of the Q&A at the Nerd HQ 2016! There he says "it's not relevant" and "we don't have to excuse them" and "You don't have to question it! (that they are totally normal people)" ... and so on!! They made clear, that they would't make it a big deal, no special mentionning as an main issue of the show!! As it appears it would melt into the storyline!

There are well known hints on that in the show

and finally the greatest one:

It is nonsense says reason It is what it is says love It is calamity says calculation It is nothing but pain says fear It is hopeless says insight It is what it is says love It is ludicrous says pride It is foolish says caution It is impossible says experience It is what it is says love

(by Erich Fried, originally in German "Es ist was es ist")

So in the end "it's all fine" and "it is what it is" .... and I think that's all it is about "who you really are, it doesn't matter" ...  because it’s love!!

...it's all about the legend, the story, the adventures...

I mentionned it earlier: this is one thing John and Sherlock share with each other! And it is very dear to both of them! This is not just about SOLVING the cases, but about THE ADVENTURE!!

So it's not meant as "it never was about the detective, but about the crimes" ! This meant as "it's about their shared adventures" it's about what they both love and what brought them back together, what binds them together over and over again:

... they can't do it alone and after each big split up, the cases are bringing them back together!!! And isn’t solving cases equal to “dinner”...

There is a last refuge for the desperate, the unloved, the persecuted....There is a final court of appeal for everyone. When life gets too strange, too impossible ... too frightening, there is always one last hope. ...When all else fails ... there are two men sitting arguing in a scruffy flat...

This is not about the clients!! Remember, this as all about the two of them!! This about them, the “desperate”, the “unloved”, the “persecuted“ and when all else fails for them, when they get frightened ... there is still 221B, their chairs, the two of them arguing and getting a solution, together!!

look at it! Even the lighting the same! This is the way they fit inside it!!

... like they’ve always been there ... and they always will...

This is how it always was meant to be! And Sherlock Holmes and John Watson will aways be here! Even if there would be no S5 we know, they are back together in 2221B, as it always should have been!! And the legend will survive!

Here dwell together still two men of note Who never lived and so can never die: How very near they seem, yet how remote That age before the world went all awry. But still the game's afoot for those with ears Attuned to catch the distant view-halloo: England is England yet, for all our fears— Only those things the heart believes are true. A yellow fog swirls past the window-pane As night descends upon this fabled street: A lonely hansom splashes through the rain, The ghostly gas lamps fail at twenty feet. Here, though the world explode, these two survive, And it is always eighteen ninety-five.

(by Vincent Starret "221 B")

more about this at the very end of this post! How it is always meant this way but still all new!!

and the last ones are my favorites:

The best and wisest men I have ever known...

This is a declearation of love!!! This has always been their way of showing each other how much they love each other!!!

and assuming that all this happens in Sherlock's mind, what do you think would  this last line even mean:

My Baker Street boys...

THIS are not Mary's Baker Street Boys!! No ... they are SHERLOCK'S!!!

look at that grin!!!

and these last words make it round and it is clearly a reference to the very beginning:

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson...

because even the pronounciation is the same as Mycroft uses in ASIP! So this brings us back to the beginning!! As Sherlock said himself in TAB “back to the beginning then”... so let’s start from this point on!! With a new story to be told!

They are even running out of the ‘Rathbone palace’ ... surely a tribute to Basil Rathbone, but this show has to move on from the Sherlock Holmes he had to show! So they have to go on, have to escape that ‘palace’ Sherlock Holmes is hidden in!! No longer hidden inside...running out to tell the true story... The story that began here:

(final note: why it has to be Mary’s voiceover, this is the next question and to answer that we have to dig deep into symbolism! Maybe there is following a meta on this later, than I will link it here (NEW LINK ADDED!)! Otherwise there are some people busy with this as well, so keep your eyes open!!)

(as finishing touch read my music meta, the music supports this reading of the end of TFP!!!)

tagging some EMP friends and people might interested:

@ebaeschnbliah @gosherlocked @monikakrasnorada @isitandwonder @tjlcisthenewsexy @yan-yae @longsnowsmoon5 @tendergingergirl @impatient14 @shawleyleres @multivariate-madness @doomsteady @marcespot @may-shepard @moffat-rocks

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #110 - The Great Mouse Detective

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: DVD

1) When it comes to Disney animated films, there are certain “ages” you can divide them up into. This film technically falls into what is known as The Bronze Age, the films released after The Jungle Book (after Walt Disney’s death) but before The Little Mermaid. In many ways though The Great Mouse Detective laid the groundwork for the Disney Renaissance (The Little Mermaid to Tarzan). It is one of the standout films of the Bronze Age, introduced us to the directing team behind many Renaissance classics (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules), and according to an article published by Oh My Disney, “it had great music, utter commitment to its concept, and a willingness to innovate technologically,” all of which are concepts which would define the Disney Renaissance.

2) There are some obvious parallels between this and Sherlock Holmes story, mainly that Basil of Baker Street (the titular great mouse detective) lives on 221 1/2 Baker Street under the famous Sherlock Holmes. When I was a little kid I thought Dr. Watson was named Dr. Dawson because this film’s Watson is named Dawson.

3) Olivia is a nice character.

She is wonderfully curious, chipper, intuitive, but without being annoying like so many child characters can be. She’s a nice character to enter this world with.

4) Basil of Baker Street.

Basil is the Sherlock Holmes equivalent of this story without being a carbon copy of the character. He has Holmes ego, distaste for other people, and obsessive nature. But because this is an animated film for families Basil is filled with an animated energy. He is expressive and passionate, qualities which are found in Holmes but not in such exuberance.

5) Our first meeting with Basil has him matching up a bullet he just fired from a gun with another bullet to see if they match. As a kid I had no idea what he was trying to do.

6)

Basil [after Olivia says her father is gone]: “Surely your mother must know where he is.”

Olivia: “I don’t have a mother.”

Without the text, this is Basil’s reaction:

And I feel like in his mind he’s just like, “Well, now I feel like an asshole.”

7) Basil has a framed portrait of his archenemy?

That seems very telling of him as a character.

8) Vincent Price as Ratigan.

Vincent Price brings SO much to Ratigan. According to IMDb:

Vincent Price realized a life-long dream with this film. He had always wanted to be the voice of a character in a Disney film.

During the recording of Vincent Price's lines, animators sketched his exaggerated Shakespearean gestures and worked them into the animated poses for Ratigan.

Vincent Price realized a life-long dream with this film. He had always wanted to be the voice of a character in a Disney film.

You can tell that Price is having a lot of fun with the role and that makes it fun for the audience to watch! He gets to sing two songs (something Price didn’t get to do) and Price’s best asset was always his voice and it is on full display in this film. Price’s work in this film makes Ratigan great and one of the Mouse House’s most underrated bad guys.

9) Let me get this straight: the plot of this film involves the bad guy...

Kidnapping a father away from his daughter...

To build something which will allow him power in the empire?

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

10) “World’s Greatest Criminal Mind”

This is a great bad guy song which tells you a lot about Ratigan. It tells you about how much of a bad guy he is, the things he’s done, as well as his ruthlessness and self loathing when it comes to being a rat. Also there’s a cameo in here from Alice in Wonderland!

Bill the Lizard has the privilege of showing up in two different Disney films separated by 35 years! Raises a lot of questions about the film’s continuity if you think too much about it (like I do) but still a lot of fun!

11) So Basil has help from a dog named Toby who lives in Sherlock Holmes’ home.

Toby is from the Holmes stories and is used sometimes by the detective, and most recently showed up in the season 4 premiere of the Cumberbatch led “Sherlock”. I thought it was just a random dog but it’s kinda cool to learn that he has a deeper connection to Holmes mythology.

12) While Basil shares the same name as the actor who played Holmes repeatedly in the 30s & 40s Basil Rathbone, we hear a little of Holmes actually speak in this film and while it is Rathbone it is NOT from one of those films. Instead, according to IMDb:

Sherlock Holmes speaks with the voice of Basil Rathbone. Although it is often erroneously claimed that the lines are taken from one of Rathbone's 1940s performances as Sherlock Holmes on film or radio, this is not true. The cameo is edited from Rathbone's reading of the Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League" by Arthur Conan Doyle for Caedmon Records in 1966, just months before his death. This explains why Rathbone's voice sounds older and less crisp than in his famous films, and more importantly, why the voice of Rathbone's co-star Nigel Bruce was not used for Dr. Watson's brief cameo. According to the text of "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League", this would mean that the film takes place sometime in the autumn of 1890.

13) Dumbo cameo (sort of)!

14) I thought this line was awesome as a kid.

Fidget [after Olivia stomps his foot]: “Ah! My foot! My only foot!”

15) So Basil and Dawson go to this seedy sailor bar in search of Ratigan and as soon as he says they’re looking for him EVERYONE gasps. Then the waitress responds with, “Never heard of him.”

16) The “Let Me Be Good To You” song in the bar is weird.

The "Let Me Be Good To You" segment was almost cut because though brief, the lyrics and some animation was considered "too risqué" for a Disney animated family film, the animators avoided a PG rating and got the scene kept in by appealing to the censors on the grounds that the segment was a Caberet song and harmless in lyrics, and because the character animated singing it was a mouse, not a human and thus not questionable.

17) So Ratigan outsmarts Basil and traps him and Basil just is so defeated and beast himself up. I thought of something watching this I wanted to yell at every Sherlock Holmes character I’ve ever seen: “GET OVER YOURSELF!!!!!”

18) Ratigan leaves before Basil’s death trap is set off and I can’t help but think of this line from Emperor Palpatine in a recent “How It Should Have Ended” video.

Palpatine: “We look forward watching your demise. But unfortunately we won’t be able to see it. As standard villain practices go we must now conveniently leave the room and assume the killing device achieves its desired purpose.”

19) This line from Ratigan when it looks like he’s going to be the queen’s aid reminds me of a certain world leader who shall remain nameless.

Ratigan: “I have the power! I am supreme! This is MY kingdom!”

20) The best part of this film is the clock tower climax.

Many hand drawn animated films from the 2000s and late 90s are marked with mixing CGI and 2D animation, but The Great Mouse Detective is one of the first to do this. It is a callback to the iconic scenes from the Golden Age of Disney animation and sets a precedent for scenes like the Wildebeest Chase in The Lion King for the upcoming Renaissance. It’s memorable! Big, tense, fun! It has an incredible element of fantasy and imagination to it which is the hallmark of all great Disney animation. A great action climax to the film and just a joy to watch.

The Great Mouse Detective is a truly joyful treat from Disney animation, and one of their most underrated pre-Renaissance films. If you’re a fan of Disney, animation, Sherlock Holmes or even Vincent Price I think you’ll like this movie.

[themastercylinder]

  After BLACK CHRISTMAS came BREAKING POINT (20th Century), a big budget “WALKING TALL clone” starring Bo Svenson and Robert Culp that Bob describes as “the only film I had made up to that point I view as unsuccessful.” Alas, to film critics of the day, contemptuous of horror and other “exploitation” fare, it was the only of his films at that time worth praising.

 SUMMARY

It is England in the Autumn of 1888 and Queen Victoria still rules over the British Empire. Sherlock Holmes (Christopher Plummer) the legendary private detective and his loyal companion and chronicler, the earnest Dr. Watson (James Mason), are enjoying an opulent first night at the opera in London’s fashionable West End. Meanwhile, in the squalid jungle of the East End of London, a prostitute is being horribly murdered. The dreaded killer, commonly known as Jack the Ripper for the gruesome manner in which he mutilates the bodies of his victims, has struck again. The sickly miasma of fear is as palpable as the autumn fogs which envelop the slums. The forces of law and order seem powerless to stop the savage butchery. Holmes is approached by shadowy figures to take on the case. Although Police Inspectors Foxborough (David Hemmings) and Lestrade ( Frank Finlay) more than welcome his assistance, Sir Charles Warren (Anthony Quayle), the Commissioner of Police from Scotland Yard, actively does not.

The master criminologist is guided in his pursuit of justice, through the seamy Victorian underworld, to the psychic Robert Lees (Donald Sutherland) who fearfully points him in another direction. Holmes and Watson, constantly in danger for their lives and liberty, become not only the grand masters but also the pawns in this lethal game of hide and seek. They search out and are found by the hapless Mary Kelly (Susan Clark), a girl of the streets, whose only crime is the knowledge of a fatal secret, which she will protect at all costs. She in turn leads them to Annie Crook (Genevieve Bujold), a servant who made the mistake of marrying above her station, whom even the illustrious detective cannot protect from herself.

The hunters and the hunted stealthily move through the mist-shrouded maze of Whitechapel���s cobblestone streets where every shadow instills fear. Watson is violently attacked by, and Holmes at last comes face to face with, the Ripper. As he inexorably unravels the mystery, Holmes crosses swords with Lord Salisbury (John Gielgud), the Prime Minister of England, and finds himself threatened by the macabre power of a secret society and the all-pervasive, long reaching might of the Establishment. He is challenged by no ordinary murderer but one with influential and determined friends and what he has to stop.

  MURDER BY DECREE, from left: James Mason as Dr. Watson, Frank Finlay, Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes, 1979, © Avco Embassy/courtesy Everett Collection

  DEVELOPMENT

The idea of Sherlock Holmes tackling the Ripper case is hardly a new idea now, nor was it in 1978 when Bob Clark (Co-producer, story and director) started piecing together his story for Murder by Decree. This is first and foremost a Ripper film rather than a Holmes film as Holmes simply provides the vehicle for telling the story. We had last seen Holmes tackle the Ripper in the 1965 film A Study in Terror which featured John Neville as Holmes. In an odd twist, two actors from the previous film, one as the same character, would also appear in the new one. That version, as satisfying as it was, didn’t actually take into account much of the popular Ripper mythology that had sprung up around the unsolved case.

The script, based partially on the findings of a BBC docu-drama called Jack the Ripper (1973 TV series), while fictional, was meticulous in its research, down to the names, places, and even the grape stem clue found at the scene of one of the actual slayings. DECREE offers up the theory that Big Bad Jack was not a random psycho but a government stoolie covering up the marital indiscretions of The Royal Family.

By 1978, the theory, much expanded on in Stephen Knight’s 1976 book Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution had made its mark and ridiculous conspiracy theories involving the Freemasons and the Royal family were a hotly debated topic. Apparently, Clark and scriptwriter John Hopkins (Z Cars, The Offence), felt that having Holmes rooted in a true historical case would add a certain depth to the characters. They were determined to create a more fully realized personality for Holmes. Giving him a greater level of emotion.

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“I first came up with the idea of the film when I heard about that very first theory printed by a British journalist saying the Duke of Clarence was the killer. I thought, what an incredible notion for a movie. That theory was soon discredited and the theories that we’re following are much later ones. I really didn’t want to make a film to prove any history, I’m not trying to prove anything. I’m just doing a “what if” history. That’s why I brought Sherlock Holmes into it, who is a semi-fictional character. He’s not real, but so many think he is. By bringing him into the story, we’re saying in effect that we’re not claiming this is fact.” Director Bob Clark asserts.

 PRE-PRODUCTION

Fictional 19th century detective Sherlock Holmes and real life 1800s psycho Jack the Ripper have been paired in film before, in 1956’s A STUDY IN TERROR and in Paul Naschy’s 1972 effort 7 MURDERS FOR SCOTLAND YARD (EL DESTRIPADOR DE LONDRES), but these films had no part in the development of MURDER BY DECREE, originally called “Saucy Jack Meets Sherlock Holmes’. “I had loved the old Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Holmes and Watson films,” he relays, “and was intrigued by the concept of them meeting Jack the Ripper. A book had just been written about the true identity of the Ripper that I had read a review of. And the film’s concept was one my Canadian horror movie backers could easily grasp.”

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Production Stills

CASTING

Clark described his choice and reasoning in casting Plummer and Mason. “The relationship between the two men appealed to me deeply. This is a passionate and caring Holmes; I wanted to get through his traditional reserve. I have aimed for a humanizing of the characters. First of all, we were looking for two men who really do have a relationship between them. Although I loved the Basil Rathbone – Nigel Bruce teaming, what I didn’t like was Holmes continually patronizing Watson without really enjoying him as much as he should. With Christopher, we’ve gone for a very warm, vital Holmes, a man who cares very passionately. Any Holmes up to now would never have a tear in his eye. Well, Christopher does in this, and when he sees some wrenching or pathetic things, it moves him. Conan Doyle’s Holmes was a very intellectual, brilliant egotistical man. We’ve kept that ego, that’s still there. Christopher has depth and strength, he has brilliant flashes. He’s currently the most Holmesian of all actors around. And it’s that kind of cold aristocratic Plummer that we’re playing against in this picture. We’re going very much against what has been Chris’s image and I think it will surprise and please a lot of people. James has created a much more intelligent Watson, still a bit of a fustian old soldier type, because the movie Watson is invariably that image. But James is not stupid, his character has got a good sense of humor. He’s pretty quick on the uptake yet he remains a step behind Holmes at all times naturally. But he has center stage himself several times, he does some pretty good sleuthing on his own and he’s never befuddled or patronized by Holmes. He’s much more perceptive, which I think is a necessary updating.”

“I have approached the character of Watson as an intelligent friend of Holmes. He is often portrayed as a bumbling joker but he was supposed to be a medical doctor and Holmes would never have shared his life with an idiot.” – James Mason on the playing Dr Watson

Christopher Plummer also comments on the script’s approach to Holmes: “It gives Holmes the opportunity to be human. It’s easy to play him as supercilious, rather snobbish, but that’s not what I intended to do. I hope people like him the way I play him.” James Mason adds his comments on the subject of the good Doctor and his relationship with Holmes, “I am supremely suited to the role of Dr. Watson because it is a part that is completely within my range. I don’t see Watson as a buffoon. I think he was dependable, full of common sense, discipline and dignity. Holmes on the other hand was rather weird. Watson needed sterling qualities to be with him. Holmes daily behavioral pattern was that of a rather strange individual. “

“I don’t think anybody will ever get tired of Sherlock Holmes. I don’t think the public will ever let him die just as they wouldn’t let Conan Doyle kill him.” – Christopher Plummer

 While Murder By Decree is not a Canadian production, (it is actually an Ambassador Films Production produced in cooperation with the Canadian Film Development Corporation and Famous Players Ltd. and released by Avco Embassy Pictures Corp) it did however utilize a number of Canadian stars alongside the lead in key roles. Amongst them are Donald Sutherland as the psychic Robert Lees, Genevieve Bujold as Annie Crook, Susan Clark as Mary Kelly and Chris Wiggins as Dr. Hardy. All of which handle their performances admirably. Rounding out the cast are UK actors Anthony Quayle as Sir Charles Warren (who  played a radical doctor in A Study in Terror), David Hemmings as Inspector Foxborough, Sir John Gielgud as the Prime Minister Lord Salisbury and Frank Finlay as Inspector Lestrade (reprising his role from the  A Study in Terror). It is a stunning cast in every way, and likely the most star-studded of any Holmes production to date.

  Interview with Director Bob Clark

How did Murder by Decree come together?

CLARK: That I generated myself. I came up with the story, and brought the production together.

When MURDER BY DECREE was first announced, it was under the title SHERLOCK HOLMES AND SAUCY JACK. What made you change the title ?

CLARK: Everyone hated that title. In England, even though that’s what he was called at the time, it has a slightly comic meaning. In the States, no one had any idea what it meant, which I actually considered to be a plus because they would have to ask. MURDER BY DECREE gives just enough away and it does invoke a response.

Why did you choose John Hopkins to write the script ?

CLARK: We had to have an English writer seeing as the film was produced under an Anglo-Canadian pact. It was either John or Anthony Shaffer, but I met John in New York and I liked him-and as it turned out we had a great rapport. There were six re-writes in all as we kept changing the story. I first came up with the story when I heard about the theory that the Ripper was the Duke of Clarence. But that theory was soon discredited and the theories that we followed are later ones. Jack the Ripper is not the whole point behind the plot, but who is trying to hinder Holmes’ investigation. Radicals and Socialists are helping him, Monarchist organizations are trying to stop him and a couple of secret societies are involved, all, I must add, based on facts. It is more an adventure/intrigue than horror. The horror story evolves into a CHINATOWN or Watergate situation. There won’t be much blood as we’re going in for terror. Actually there is very rarely any blood in my films, even though people don’t believe that. People love murder mysteries and this will be subtler than most. After BLACK CHRISTMAS I was offered a lot of films along the same lines. I was going to do a film for Warner’s, PREY, a John Carpenter script, but it was cancelled due to casting problems.

Are you familiar with a film called A STUDY IN TERROR, directed by James Hill in 1964? It has a theme similar to MURDER BY DECREE.

CLARK: I didn’t even realize it had existed until I found out Frank Finley had been in it. I’d heard it was an above-average film, but when I saw it by and large I was quite disappointed. It has not stood the test of time. The techniques were very Hammer and obviously someone had pretensions for it to aim higher than that. I’m told the director left the film due to the fact that he was told he would have a lot of money to do it, but ultimately he didn’t and he had to compromise. It clearly belongs in the genre and does not rise above it.

What about the move from low budget features to the larger budgets you have now?

CLARK: Well, it’s still the same pressure. All it means really is you have higher paid stars and more value goes up on the screen. It isn’t hard at all. Our designer has done an incredible job on the sets, they add even more production value than I could ever possibly calculate. We have done as much location as you can in modern day London. We had to build the East End docks as they no longer exist in the Victorian state.

What about working with such an impressive cast ?

CLARK: Well, I spent time with Plummer and Mason as I thought I’d be awed when shooting began, but they expect to be directed and I’m delighted to be the one who has to direct them. I first wanted either Olivier or Mason to portray Watson but I can only say that it is for the good of the film that James agreed to do it. I thought of Peter O’Toole originally for Holmes, and he was scheduled, but it was one of those questions of timing. Chris Plummer was my second choice, and he is superb at putting across all the warmth and concern I envisioned for the character. Each one of the actors contributed to the final good of the film. Bujold is the best young actress working today. She is astonishing, and what she does here is really memorable. David Hemmings is a terrific actor and he is getting much better with age. Finlay gets great mileage out of a small role. Susan Clark manages a fabulous Irish accent-and what more can you say about working with Gielgud ? It was a joy. Films are ultimately about people, people who give off sparks, and these actors give off something more than that.

Were there any ego problems during filming?

CLARK: God no, everyone was just great. James Mason—what can you say about him? He was a perfect gentleman, and a marvelous actor.

You drew your best reviews for Murder by Decree, but the film really didn’t catch on at the box office. Any idea why?

CLARK: I don’t know, to tell the truth, I didn’t think much about it. It’s a great film. I quite rightly regard it as my best work, my biggest triumph so far.

Since Murder by Decree, you haven’t done anything even remotely close to the horror genre. Why is that?

CLARK: I wanted to move on. I’d done horror films. Still, I’m glad I did horror films. They’re the greatest training in the world. Making horror films requires a great deal of editing discipline and attention to rhythm. I think some of my early films are my best work. I’ve no regrets.

From Baker Street To Whitechapel – Recreation of Victorian England and its people

Not only is the cast of a high caliber, the production itself is remarkable.  Elstree Studios was home to the construction of a vast complex of streets, cobbled alleyways, a square and a courtyard as well as the busy thoroughfare of Whitechapel’s main street. At the time, this was the largest set ever built, taking 100 men over 8 weeks to construct, in England on a studio sound stage. 4,000 square feet of cobblestones were laid in sheets each three feet by one and a half feet, made of reinforced concrete. 30 molds were made from which two batches were produced daily, taking 6 men 30 days to manufacture, using 20 tons of cement and 150 tons of sand. And finally, stale fruit and vegetables were blended with Fuller’s earth, combined with manure and then strewn along the cobbled streets. Three different types of brick were cast for the buildings and 5,000 sheets were made, each being 6 by 5 feet. 10 men spent eight weeks casting the 150, 000 square feet of bricks and tacking them to the walls. Responsible for the concept and execution of the set was Production Designer Harry Pottle, who ensured that every detail was authentic to the period, from unique tin match boxes to a lily decorated urn visible in an Undertakers window.

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Set Design Drawing by Harry Pottle for Murder By Decree, 1978

Meanwhile, at Shepperton Studios, on their largest sound stage, an authentic recreation of the London docks was erected, complete with a river Thames flowing by. This set took 50 men two months to construct. A 100-foot wharf was made from Victorian railway ties. To recreate the murky look of the Thames, a tank, 120’ wide by 90’ long was built requiring 36 hours to fill with half a million gallons of water. All because Bob Clark was insistent on total authenticity.

“We were trying to get a flavor of the London of Gustave Dore. But he was about 30 years to early for us, we studied his drawings and engravings then updated our interpretation.”  – Production Designer Harry Pottle

The effort appears worthwhile on screen when combined with actual location shooting.  Along with the aforementioned Royal Academy and Wyndham’s Theater were locations which included Clink Street in the East End of London, the Royal Naval College at Greenwich for a recreation of Park Lane and finally the exterior of 221B Baker Street was actually a quiet backwater stretch of Barton Street. It is an impressive picture particularly as it was made on a total budget of $5,000,000.

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The attention to detail extended right through costuming and makeup as well. For a change, the prostitute victims of the Ripper were actually of the right age and dressed as the ragged drabs that they were. Unfortunately, the usual gaff of having Holmes wearing a deerstalker hat while in the city is committed throughout the film. He is also saddled with a rather improbable pipe. Sadly, these appear to be necessities of Holmesian filmmaking life, as producers and directors seem to think that the general viewing audience expects the stereotype to identify the character. Christopher Plummer comments on the look of Holmes in the film “I had my hair streaked to make him warmer looking. In the Sidney Paget drawings he had slicked down hair, very sinister looking. If the audience don’t like you, you’re dead. Unfortunately, he has that costume he is identified with. Hamlet can come on in brown velvet – Holmes has to wear that damn hat and pipe.”

  When production wrapped, the makeup department presented Plummer with a Snoopy doll dressed as Holmes complete with a weighted knitted scarf.

James Mason demonstrating the present day art of using a buttonhook. The photograph was taken in 1979 outside Elstree Studios where he was filming the Sherlock Holmes mystery ‘Murder by Decree’. Mr. Mason, in his role as Dr. Watson, used a steel fold-over buttonhook to fasten his boots.

 POST PRODUCTION

 Interview with Score Composer Paul Zaza

 Murder by Decree has your classy signature sound. What you and Carl cooked up was very different there from Black Christmas, that collection of atonal sounds and discordant effects.

PAUL ZAZA: Well, Murder by Decree was anything but Black Christmas. It was Sherlock Holmes. It was 1888. Whitechapel, London. It needed real music. Acoustic music. To put an electronic score on that would have been all wrong.

So at that point, Bob Clark knew you from Carl’s work on Black Christmas?

ZAZA: Yes. He was totally cool with both Carl and myself working on Murder by Decree. His attitude was, “You guys figure it out. Just don’t screw it up.” Bob’s head was much more into what angle he was going shoot James Mason and Christopher Plummer when they’re coming down in the carriage. Or what lens he’d use on the camera when Jack the Ripper is chasing them…that’s what he was worried about.

So you hired a full orchestra?

ZAZA: Yes. We went to London and hired the Royal Philharmonic. I was scared shitless. This was the biggest thing I’d ever done. You know, I was a kid in my twenties, standing there and conducting the Royal Phil. I had it all written out – and I crossed my T’s and dotted my I’s and thought, “This should work.” You never know until you put the baton down and you hear the first bar played. I had the big producers from New York in there, and Bob Clark. There were ninety musicians out there and the pressure was on. But I put the baton down and we conducted the first cue – and it was absolutely glorious. It was just beautiful.

It’s probably the most beautiful of all the Zaza scores we listened to as we prepped for this interview. It has a breadth of scope to it. In particular, the music for the closing credits – a theme of sorts for Annie (Genevieve Bujold) in the film – that’s a wonderful piece.

ZAZA: Thank you. Yes, it’s really one of the best things I’ve done. And of course, it’s one of the best films Bob ever did.

Is Murder by Decree one of your proudest achievements as a film composer?

ZAZA: I think so. It’s a score that’s very pure and it works. It was one of the few films in which almost everything that I wrote got used. They didn’t change it much. In almost every other film, when the directors and the producers start to get “creative” – they really butcher it up and slice and dice it into tiny pieces. They’ll have a favorite cue and they’ll end up using it twenty-five times in the film.

But Murder by Decree pretty much plays the way I wrote it. That’s a symbol of how good it is.

ZAZA: It’s also a symbol of how times have changed. Back then, if something worked and it was good, you just went with it. Whereas now, it’s filmmaking by committee. You get these boards of directors micro managing, everybody has a say in the music.

You won the Genie Award (the Canadian version of the Oscar) for Best Score for Murder. What was that like? Did it open doors for you?

ZAZA: Canada is a funny place. If this were an Academy Award, my phone would have been ringing off the hook for the next ten years. The Canadian film industry has a very strange attitude. Their attitude is “Oh, he’s too expensive now. We’d better not call him.”

Really?

ZAZA: Yeah, in fact…I probably noticed that my phone got real quiet after I won the Genie Award and I couldn’t figure out why. But I still managed to drum up some work.

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Promotional Artwork

  Cast

Sherlock Holmes – Christopher Plummer

Dr. Watson – James Mason

Robert Lees – Donald Sutherland

Annie Crook – Genevieve Bujold

Inspector Foxborough – David Hemmings

Mary Kelly – Susan Clark

Sir Charles Warren – Anthony Quayle

Lord Salisbury – Sir John Gielgud

Inspector Lestrade – Frank Finlay

Dr. Hardy – Chris Wiggins

Mrs. Lees – Tedde Moore

William Slade – Peter Jonfield

Sir Thomas Spivey – Roy Lansford

Carrie – Catherine Kessler

Henry Matthews – Geoffrey Russell

Makins – Roy Pember

Elizabeth Stride – June Brown

Catherine Eddowes – Hilary Sesta

  Crew

Executive Producer – Len Herberman

Co – Producer – Rene Dupont

Co – Producer/Director – Bob Clark

Director of Photography – Reg Morris

Screenplay – John Hopkins

Production Manager – John Davis

Production Designer – Harry Pottle

1st Assistant Director – Ariel Levy

Costume Designer – Judy Moorcroft

Sound Mixer – John Mitchell

Camera Operator – Jimmy Turrell

Continuity – Marjorie Lavelly

Chief Makeup Artist – Peter Robb-King

Chief Hairdresser – Colin Jamison

Editor – Stanley Cole

Wardrobe Supervisor – Ron Beck

Construction Manager – Ken Pattenden

Property Master – Andy Andrews

Gaffer – Maurice Gillett

Special Effects Supervisor – Michael Albrechtson

Production Assistant – Marilyn Clarke

Casting Director – Irene Lamb

Production Accountant – Andy Birmingham

Still Photographer – Graham Attwood

Unit Publicist – Linda Levy ( Fred Hift Associates)

Music – Paul Zaza/Carl Zittrer

  REFERENCES and SOURCES

https://sherlockholmesof221b.blogspot.com/2016/06/murder-by-decree-sherlock-holmes-hunts.html

http://www.bakerstreetdozen.com

Horror Fan 40

http://www.terrortrap.com/interviews/paulzaza/

                  Bob Clark Director Profile Part Five After BLACK CHRISTMAS came BREAKING POINT (20th Century), a big budget “WALKING TALL clone” starring Bo Svenson and Robert Culp that Bob describes as “the only film I had made up to that point I view as unsuccessful.” Alas, to film critics of the day, contemptuous of horror and other “exploitation” fare, it was the only of his films at that time worth praising.

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INTERVIEW: Percy Sends on James Bond on a Cyberthriller Adventure

With his work on titles like “Teen Titans” and “Green Arrow”, writer Benjamin Percy has established himself as one of the hottest talents in comics today, effortlessly blending the legacy of his characters within a contemporary, realistic-feeling world. He’s able to take a character and boil them right down to their essence whilst losing none of their potency – and this week his sights are settling on a spy known round the world as Bond… James Bond.

In Dynamite Entertainment’s new series “James Bond: Black Box”, Percy is teaming up with artist Rapha Lobosco for a story poised to send Bond racing round the world, seeking out an assassin who kills other assassins – and finds himself involved in a labyrinthine plot that brings him fully into the world of today. It’s James Bond-as-cyberthriller, and CBR spoke with Percy about just what we can expect from the series.

CBR: I know you’ve been a long-term Bond fan – how does it feel to actually now have the chance to get your hands on the character, and his world?

Benjamin Percy: A gift. A privilege. I feel joy, but I also feel pressure. James Bond might be the most recognized literary creation – right up there with Sherlock Holmes and Batman and Dracula. So I’m facing the weighty expectations of fans and the silently admonishing example of Fleming and all the other creators who came before me.

But really, this is a childhood dream come true. I wish I could go back in time and whisper in my own ear—the ear of that twelve-year-old kid who cuddled up on the couch and gorged on popcorn and religiously watched every minute of the 007 marathons on TBS. ‘Pay attention, dipshit’, I would say. ‘Because one day, you’re going to be the custodian of this character’.

The new comics run at Dynamite has so far harkened back to Fleming’s original broken brute of a character, rather than the film version. What’s your take on who James Bond actually is?

We all know – or think we know – who Batman is, right? But if you look at Bob Kane or you look at Alan Moore or Jeph Loeb or Grant Morrison or Scott Snyder or Tom King, there’s an… elasticity to their interpretations. That’s what people want. A unique take that still honors the character’s legacy.

I’m a big nerdy fan of the Bond novels and the films. They’ve blended together in my head. The same thing has happened to Sherlock Holmes. I’ve read all the short stories and novellas many times over—and my love for them is entwined with my love of the Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett and Benedict Cumberbatch adaptations.

So you’ll see as much of Fleming as you will Connery and Moore in my take on the character. Warren Ellis is a legend. I’m a punk. You’re not allowed to compare us. But my version will extend the excellent work he did, while adding a little more humor and romance. I can promise you I’ve pulled out all the stops on action: every single issue outdoes the last on spectacle.

How does the character fit within the espionage model? Why does he work in this role as a spy?

Bond is suited for his work because he is not mired in the past or especially worried about the future. He is a creature of the moment; he has to be or he’d go mad, given the ugliness of what he’s done and given the horrors that might befall the world if he doesn’t succeed. He occasionally diverts and numbs himself with pleasure but is otherwise an instrument in Britain’s arsenal. The work owns him.

He’s fascinating in that he appears at first so aspirational – wearing the best clothes, driving the best cars, winning every bet and seducing the most beautiful women – but beneath that luxurious veneer is a severely messed-up human being who can only survive by drowning himself in bourbon, losing himself in the sheets, or devoting himself to the case at hand.

The title, “Black Box,” seems like the key to the story. What is it that interests you in having Bond tackle cyber-terrorism? As a novelist and as a comics writer, you’ve always tended to have a directly political approach. Can we expect that to continue in to your run on James Bond?

Bond stories always align with the anxieties of the era. Look at “Dr. No” and the Cuban Missile Crisis as a prime example. What scares us right now? The list is long, but we’re all so vulnerable online. We live on our devices as much as we do in the real world, and it’s so easy for us to be stalked, corrupted, hacked, pirated, possessed, erased.

In one particularly nasty week, my sister’s email was hacked, my friend’s Facebook feed filled with phishing scams, our credit card info was stolen, my father downloaded a virus that locked down his computer, and my neighbor filed his taxes and discovered that someone had already done so and collected the refund. All because we carelessly clicked or swiped.

I’ve got a novel coming out this summer, a cyber-thriller called “The Dark Net.” I researched the hell out of it, visiting the Google and Apple campuses, talking to Verizon reps, interviewing hackers and coders. And you know what everybody said to me? The Russians and the Chinese were already inside the digital walls of this country. The only question was, what were they planning to do with that access? Just wait, everyone said. Something big is coming. And then, six months later, here are these allegations of Russian hacking influencing the election.

So yeah, in all my work, I’m channeling the zeitgeist, trying to make my wild storytelling as relatable and relevant as possible. You’ll certainly see that in Bond.

Bond may be the star, but he’s always part of a different strange ensemble. Who’ll he be meeting in “Black Box?” Who, in particular, is No Name, the antagonist of the story? What’s his ambition, his goal?

I’ve always been fond of the henchmen, Odd Job and Jaws especially, so I put a lot of thought into creating a colorful villain, and in doing so spliced my love of horror with my love of 007. No Name is the result. He is an assassin with a trophy room. In it he displays the death masks of his victims. And because of his own deformities (and perversions) he wears these masks when hunting. He is as unrelenting as he is grotesque. And there is one scene in particular — that takes place in the “suicide forest” of Japan — that will likely scare the hell out of readers.

But he is one of many colorful characters. Bond’s old frenemy Felix also plays a critical role in the story. So does an assassin who only kills other assassins. The big bad of Black Box is a tech mogul who is essentially a Mark Zuckerberg with criminal intentions.

Is if difficult to balance the old-school style of the series within the contemporary world? Working within the past but keeping something in the present, a little like your approach on Green Arrow?

I’m writing both “Green Arrow” and “Teen Titans,” and if you’re a comics reader, you probably know all about DC’s Rebirth. It’s about legacy. You channel the greatest elements of a series—while asking yourself, what is the greatest Green Arrow or Teen Titans story I could possibly tell right now? How can I, with my own unique skill set, make the series new while honoring those creators who came before me?

That is exactly how I’m approaching James Bond. It wasn’t a struggle at all. It’s how I’ve been trained as a comics writer.

How have you found working with artist Rapha Lobosco on the story? What kind of style is he bringing to the comic?

Pure cinema. He has such a smart sense of storytelling, pacing, how to stage a scene and make the reader feel like they’re living it. Go big with moments of high-wire action, go quiet with moments of emotional impact. His work reminds me a lot of Eduardo Risso on “100 Bullets”.

He draws with such energy and big-heartedness. This is a big platform for us, and so we’re both putting all our energy into it. There are many artists who would (rightfully) murder me for setting an assassination scene at a sumo tournament or staging a car chase in downtown Tokyo at rush hour…but he tackles these wild action sequences with gusto and ridiculous talent. Rapha is a star on the rise.

Do you have long-term plans for Bond, or is your interest in working story-to-story, creating a body of work that way?

Well, Bond isn’t mine. In my wild, what-if fantasies, his father comes back from the dead (and turn out to be a villain) and he discovers he has a child (given all the nookie Bond has, that not an unreasonable suggestion) and he eventually becomes M. himself (and absolutely despises the work).

But don’t worry, 007 purists. That’s not happening. I’m treating each of these six-issue arcs as a kind of film. Rapha and I are making Bond movies—without having to worry about the special effects budget or an actor’s salary or whether we can get a permit to shoot in this or that location.

I don’t know how long Dynamite will keep me on the series, but I can promise you that every issue of “Black Box” is wilder and cooler than the last—and I can promise you the same will be true of our story arcs. I’ll continue to raise the stakes in an effort to make an indelible mark on the franchise.

“James Bond: Black Box” #1 is in stores now.

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